3 replies to this topic

[1dmf]

ok , sub title a bit harsh, but you know me!

But I have serious objections to some of Jill's list...

They ask the client to provide them with website copy.
They have the client provide them with what pages they want on their website.

You cannot blame the developer because a client insists on what pages they want or what the copy text should be.

If the developer is any good he will be able to provide all the pages the client wants in an SE friendly and SEO'd manner, one does not circumvent the other!

This also implies that the developer is better placed to write copy text than the client, which is even worse than the client unless the developer has a copytext skillset.

It is far better the client write the copy text than a developer, especialy if the developer has explained SEO concepts to the client before they supply the copy text, not to mention the client might have their own inhouse expert copy writters and sales SEM team, there is no way a standard SEO is better placed than a qualified professional deparment of expert copywriters?

They believe that "clean code" equal SEO.

no we don't it equals good coding , something SEO's seem incapable of understanding or implementing! If it's disabled person W3C accessibility friendly and standards compliant, then it's quite likely to be SE friendly by default!

They take weeks to make simple changes to a website.

not if they are any good they won't , it'll take seconds, don't tar all developers with the same brush, you wouldn't like to be considered the same as the other SEO scam artists, we have more respect for you than that Jill, come on recipricate!

I would also point out there are contradictions in your list either its

They think SEO is all about the long-tail.

or its

They try to optimize for highly competitive keywords only.

it can't be both!

then there is

They put "click here" in anchor text.

I've seen Jill post regarding the comment on 'click here 'as anchor text, making a stong case for using it as it's very good for getting people to 'click here'.. It's all relative

There are few other points that any good developer would take offence too, no different than the [url=http://www.highrankings.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=15499]Seo Myths[/url] and bad name SEOs have which any good SEOer would also take offence too,

Infact alot of the list that says "they think ONLY this is SEO", if you added them together as a whole , they would make up the bulk of what SEO is, because SEO is not one thing or a couple it's lots of different things, done in a specific way which makes up the entire SEO jigsaw

The same way a developer needs to understand multiple platforms, languages and technologies, to deliver truely compliant and compatible websites, that are also SEO and SE friendly

Come Jill, let's try to bat for the same team... together we can make the internet a better place, but not if we keep having a dig at one another!

but I still luv ya!

[Jill]

You're going to confuse people, 1dmf. The article you're talking about was only referenced in HRA 257.

It's my search engine land article here:

85 Reasons Why Designers/Developers Keep SEOs in Business

[1dmf]

thanks, wasn't my intention.

I was actually going to post the URL to the search engine land article and then forgot, was typing all that in my lunch hour and needed to rush home to feed the cat.

And I think it's only fair to mention in the newsletter you did make this caveat

While I don't mean to say that ALL website designers and developers believe or do all of these things, you'll likely encounter many who have done or believe in some of these.

But it still implies majority

[Jill]

As I mentioned in the Sphinn comments to the article, the list was derived from my 14 years of doing SEO. I've seen all of these things at one time or another, but generally not all from the same developer!